This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic starters.
It provides a device of this nature having a compact, simplistic construction featuring a new and improved means and mode of channeling and utilizing the gaseous fluid applied to drive its turbine rotor which produce a most effective control of the temperature of its bearings, gear box and housing, by virtue of which to render such a device more efficient, more effective and more satisfactory in use and minimize its maintenance requirements.
It further provides a pneumatic starter having a highly advantageous means and manner of construction and application of its nozzle unit which facilitates a ready interchange thereof and at the same time a simpler and more efficient way to shroud its turbine rotor.
It also provides pneumatic starters having a new and improved highly advantageous means and manner of construction and application thereto of a control system for achieving an automatic shut down should the speed of rotation of the embodied turbine rotor reach its predetermined design limit and automatic conditioning thereof for an immediate restart.
Any one or more of the improvements herein set forth may be utilized not only in pneumatic starters but also in other turbine powered devices and endow them with significant benefits which contribute thereto an advance in the pertinent art.
Most importantly, the present invention solves an additional long standing problem in the art to which it primarily relates in that it enables the production of a pneumatic engine starter sufficiently compact, sufficiently efficient, sufficently dependable, sufficiently safe, sufficiently reasonable in cost and sufficiently maintenance free to render possible a general use thereof throughout industry.
The following patents represent the only prior art of which the present inventor is aware which has specific pertinence to the improvements of the invention herein set forth:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,310 issued May 21, 1985
U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,047 issued Mar. 26, 1985.
As will be seen, on inspection of the foregoing patents, the first has only peripheral pertinence as to the current state of the prior art and the second is incorporated herein by reference, in respect to the details of the turbine rotor referred to by way of example in the body of the following specification.